Tom Tom Festival: Time to visit Charlottesville, VA

With its terrific restaurants, lively urban core, dual UNESCO World Heritage sites, first-rate arts scene, and breathtaking countryside, Charlottesville, VA, is a great place to visit any time of year.

But there’s one week that’s even better than the rest. Every April, Charlottesville celebrates hometown hero Thomas Jefferson’s birthday with its one-of-a-kind Tom Tom Founders Festival—an amazing weeklong celebration of the artists, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders who are transforming America’s communities into thriving centers of progress and empowerment. Tom Tom features great local music, food, and art, as well as hundreds of outstanding speakers, endless opportunities for terrific conversations, and an all-around amazing vision for the future of our communities.This April 10-16, join us in Charlottesville —along with hundreds of outstanding artists, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, musicians, and foodies—f or one of Virginia’s biggest and most inspiring annual events.

A few highlights:

Founders Summit

For three days during the festival, more than fifty inspiring innovators gather to share their founding stories and offer advice on starting up anything, anywhere. This year’s speakers include New Belgium Brewing cofounder Kim Jordan, who turned a background in social work and a basement-based brewery into the nation’s eighth-largest brewer and an employee-owned sustainability superstar; and Rule29 founder Justin Ahrens, who used his resources as a renowned designer to raise awareness of and funds for communities in Africa with his nonprofit, Wheels4Water .

City as Canvas Mural Project & Public Art Bike Ride

Every year, Tom Tom’s City as Canvas project commissions new murals around Charlottesville. Festival-goers can meet the artists and watch them work throughout the week, then take part in a free Public Art Bike Ride, led by one of the muralists, during which they’ll have a chance to see each new work of art and hear the story behind it.Massive free block parties

As a grand finale to the Tom Tom week, the Festival hosts three huge, free block parties featuring all kinds of music—from reggae to rock to folk. Thousands of locals and visitors turn out for these three beautiful spring days and nights featuring great local food, bands, beer and art.

Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week

Charlottesville is known as a locavore’s paradise—and after the Tom Tom Festival, you’ll know why. During the Festival’s Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week, the city’s finest restaurants and chefs highlight their commitment to sourcing local through special dinner menus that emphasize craft preparation and local artisans.

Join us in Charlottesville this April 10-16 for an outstanding week of inspiration!